


The Falling Leaves - JeanMarco

by MadelineAmyJayne



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-08
Updated: 2014-09-08
Packaged: 2018-02-16 16:03:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2275932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadelineAmyJayne/pseuds/MadelineAmyJayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A murder based mystery where two crime fighting partners (Jean and Marco) try to solve a serial killer case, which pushes them to the physical and emotional boundaries.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Falling Leaves - JeanMarco

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first FanFic so I appreciate all the feedback. It does include some 'spoilers' linked to the AoT/SnK series.

Two days ago, a body had been discovered at a nearby back ally. Eren had identified the victim as a young student; only fourteen years of age, from Colossal Academy named Maria. The murder scenes was one of the most gruesome I had ever seen, in my two years as a detective. The girl’s hair had been cut unevenly and scattered around the room, her wrists shackled to the wall, while she leant senselessly in a crimson pool of her own blood. It was obvious she had been tortured, but this was careless, it must have been an amateur. However, one thing had startled the whole team. Among the mess, there was a mysterious object in the room: A leaf. A type of muggy oak leaf was balanced on our victims lap, spitefully staring at us, the red pigments splattered over the majority of its crisp surface. Serial killer!

The day we’d discovered the body we had contacted her landlord and searched through her apartment searching for clues. She shared her flat with her boyfriend, following the death of her parents in a tragic car accident. A neighbour had told us that (on the night of her death) they had heard loud voices some-sort of argument coming from the room. We later tracked down the boyfriend and he had confirmed they had a ‘disagreement’ and he stormed out, but he had a solid alibi, we even had evidence from a CCTV camera that he was at a local pub at the time of death. Every lead we found, threw us back to the beginning shredding every last hope we had trying to find this girls killer. 

“Hey Jean!”  
The memories of the case had been scattered from a soft voice calling my name. I looked up from my desk and noticed a freckled face smiling at me, as I felt my stomach flip-flop. I gave a small laugh in response.  
“Oh hey Marco!” I said, as he passed me a cardboard cup of coffee “Thanks”. Marco was my crime solving partner. We’d been working together for several years, but knew each other since University where we studied law together. He had joined Trost Police Department when I did and we’ve stuck together ever since.  
“Great news!” He said  
“Hmm?” I replied, mouth full of the warm liquid from my cup.  
“Our search team found a note our vic’s bedroom”  
I gulped down my coffee. “What did it say?”  
“It had a name on it, ‘Rose Wall’. We’ve searched it up in the database and discovered it is a fellow student of hers.” He smiled, looking quite proud of himself; he was ahead of ME today!  
“You got an address?” I asked  
“Yeah”  
“Let’s go then” I said, standing up and grabbing my coat from the back of my chair. Marco joined me and we started walking down the hallway, shoulder to shoulder. Near the door, Eren had walked out of Captain Pixis’s office.  
“Guess who just got a promotion” He cockily grinned. I was sure to give him a budge as we walked out. God I hate him! Eren was also an old ‘friend’ from Uni, but always knew how to wind me up, he was a rival of mine, and we’d always end up having some-sort of competition about who solved the most cases in a month. 

Marco and I climbed into a car, and drove to the address that accompanied the information about Rose Wall. We pulled up next to a rickety old house on Blade Street. We walked up the cracked pathway, but before we could knock a middle-aged woman with long black hair and burst out of the front door. I saw Marco stumble back, probably from surprise. I held up my badge and requested we saw Rose immediately. The woman then looked down at her feet, her fringe covering her eyes from view. I saw water streak down her cheeks. Is she crying?!  
“R-rose hasn’t returned home for the past two days...” She whispered.  
I quickly glanced over to look at Marco, who looked as confused as I was. Two days ago, the same day our victim was killed.  
“Do you think she’s missing?” Marco asked, crouching down slightly so he could see her face. The woman didn’t say anything, just nodded faintly.  
“Why haven’t t you report this before!?” I asked. The woman didn’t reply, she turned and headed back to the door which she erupted from. She held the door open, and gestured with her hand for us to follow. 

We traced her footsteps up a crooked staircase to an attic, which had been converted into a room. She stood to the side almost suggesting for us to do as we wished. She then sat on a wooden rocking-chair in an un-lit corner of the room.  
“You start investigating” Marco whispered “I’ll go try comfort her and find out some more information.” Before I knew it he was steadily crossing the pitted floorboards in the direction of the woman. I saw him kneel down and thought I better get on; he was good at that kind of stuff. I began by searching the ruffled metal bed to the side of the doorway. I pulled back the covers and searched the lining of the pillowcase and bed sheets. Nothing. I sighed and continued. As I went to move across the room, I knocked over a nearby bedside table. Bending down to pick up the objects that scattered around the floor, I noticed a small drawer on the table. Returning it to its original place, I opened the drawer fully to investigate any object in there. To my luck, a mobile phone was in there. I unlocked the phone; there was no password on it.  
“Marco, I’ve got something” I announced, hearing his footsteps close to me I turned my head to face him. I scrolled through the most recent texts on the device.  
“Hers?” I heard him ask.  
“Yeah” I said “And by the looks of things she had plans the day of our murder” On the screen displayed a text message from an anonymous contact with an address and a time.

I rose to my feet and passed the phone into Marco’s palm. We told the woman we would contact her as soon as we found any more information about her daughter’s where-abouts and left the house. We clambered back into the car and I flopped back in my seat giving out a large puff of air.  
“What’s wrong?” Marco asked, looking quite concerned whilst starting the car.  
“I don’t know really...” I started “It’s just. This whole case, something isn’t quite right.”  
He nodded “I know what you mean.” As we pulled away from the house I looked at the digital clock displayed on the car radio: 20:03.  
“Damn, days gone by” I joked, giving a faint smile to Marco.  
“Yeah” He laughed “Got plans for dinner?”  
“C’mon Marco, it’s me! I never have plans” I said, giving him a friendly nudge, trying to not knock him so hard that his lost control of the steering wheel.  
“Chinese at mine then?” He asked, a smile stretching from one ear to the other. I hope I get to see him smile like that more.  
“Hell yeah!” I shouted “Want to watch a movie as well?”  
“Marco laughed “Yeah, I got the perfect one” he announced, giving me a slight smirk.  
“A meal and a movie?! God Marco you know how to treat a man” I winked at him laughing slightly.  
“No homo, remember Jean?” He replied, smiling even more. The whole ‘no homo’ cliché was a ‘thing’ between me and Marco. We always joked about it since university.  
“Yeah” I grinned.

The following day, I met Marco in the precinct lobby. Captain Pixis had requested to see us before we went out. Before we were called in, Annie a fellow colleague of ours informed us that Eren and his partner Armin were determined to solve this case before us.  
“I’m more threatened by Armin” I joked. Armin was one of the smartest people who worked here. He was great at devising plans, and knew what type of strategies would suit a genre of case. His awareness had saved many lives from our force.  
Before Annie could reply, the door to the office was opened and our captain stood in the doorway.  
“Detectives, may I have a word?” He asked.  
“Of course sir!” Marco and I replied in unison, filing into the room, one behind each other.

Captain Pixis sat on his chair, while Marco and I stood the opposite side of his desk.  
“Detective Bodt, Detective Kirstein” He said, nodding in the direction of us individually as he said our names. “This case is one of the hardest I have ever witnessed in my years; this is why I have assigned only you two detectives to this case. You are our best and if you cannot solve it then no one can. I have restricted Detective Yeager and Detective Arlet from working on this case, as they may only be a distraction. Good luck detectives!”  
“SIR!” we yell in sync, bringing our left arm behind our back and our right arm crossing out chest, fist clenched, resting again our chest, making our salute to our commander. As we returned into the hallway, we caught sight of Eren glaring in our direction. I returned a smirk just to piss him off. Tough luck Yeager!

We left the precinct, and drove to the address that was on the text message in Rose’s phone. As the car came to a halt, I looked out of the window to notice we’d arrived at an abandoned school. As we exited the car, Marco’s pocket overflowed with music. He answered the call with a simple “What’s up?” Another one of our workmates, Connie, had just received a 911 call stating that another girl named Sina from Colossal Academy had been reported missing for three days. Another one?!  
“Cheers Connie” I yelled from the other side of the car, before Marco hung up.  
“This just keeps getting weirder” He stated.  
“Yeah” I responded, forcing the two large front doors open. The corridor overwhelmed me with an un-lit despair. Fuck! I had always hated the dark. I extended out my arm and grabbed Marco’s hand.  
“The great Jean Kirstein is scared of the dark” Marco joked.  
“Shut up!” I snapped, gripping his hand tighter. “Would it help if I said ‘No Homo’?” I laughed  
I think he smiled at that, I couldn’t really tell because it was too dark to see.

We walked for several minutes before we reached the room which was included on the text message: Room 12A – Biology Lab.  
I reached, and twisted the doorknob before pushing it open.  
At first I couldn’t see anything, the room was flooded with jet-black shadows. We set foot in as our eyes adjusted to the dim light. I looked around the room and noticed a bright, small light on the desk, which was behind the door. At closer inspection I noticed it was a bunsen burner, what kids normally use in science just to burn random shit. What the hell is that doing on?!  
I began to walk over in the direction of the small flame when I tripped, barely able to land on my feet.  
“You okay?” I heard Marco ask from the other side of the room.  
“Yeah” I said, glancing down to my path, trying to work out what I fell over. “Something is sticking out from under this desk” I bent down to see what it was. A shoe? No wait- a foot!  
“Marco it’s another body!” I shouted, as he came rushing over behind me. The victim was lead on her back facing the base of the desk, one hand shackled to the table leg the other hand gripping something tightly. I peeled back the fingers and to my horror found another leaf! Although the features were the familiar, this murder was much more savage. A pair of old rusty scissors lay next to the body, blood-stained. It looked as if our victims left eye had been stabbed repeatedly, and then was left to bleed to death.  
Marco broke the stunned silence. “I know this face” he said “It’s Rose, I saw a picture of her at that house, it’s definitely her” DAMMIT!  
“He’s just toying with us now!” I announced, with an annoyed tone in my voice.  
“C’mon, we should go radio for backup” Marco quietly said as he stood back up. 

We started to make our way back through the maze of darkened hallways and classrooms, until I could make out a small mark on a door handle.  
“Wait a second Marco” I said, bending down to inspect the doorknob. A red smear covered the top edge of the rounded handle. Blood?  
I twisted the unclean handle and pushed the open. This was a lot easier than all the previous doors. Someone’s been here recently.  
On a large table centred in the cafeteria was some sort of container. I looked around the room, as I walked cautiously over to the table. The windows were open in this room, the whistling of the wind through the small gap. I returned my attention to the box now inches in front of me, and I noticed what lay upon the lid.  
“ANOTHER DAMN LEAF!” I shouted angrily as I heard Marco walk up behind me.  
“What’s in it?” Marco softly said. He seemed so calm about this.  
Curiosity overcame both of us, as I watched Marco unclip the lid. As he lifted it, a red-stained interior was revealed. Marco gagged and turned away as I swiftly replaced the lid, on his behalf.  
“Oh my god!” He said, before bringing his hand to his mouth, after witnessing the sight of the revulsion that was inside the box. “W-was that…. S-somebody’s interiors?!” He asked.  
Unable to speak, I crossed the room and leant against the wall. 

“You okay?” Marco asked concernedly. His voice gave me sanity in this horror.  
“A bit shocked, a little shaken up” I said “I mean, that’s the most fucked-up thing I’ve ever seen in my life!” As the words left my lips, I noticed a dark silhouette slouched in the far corner. I began to weave between the knocked over tables and scattered chairs, until I was close enough to study the sight. A girl’s body was left leaning against a corner of the room. The whole of her torso had been slashed and hollowed out. The contents of that box must have been hers. I crouched down, studying the bloodied body and noticed bruising marks across her neck. Marco stumbled up behind me.  
“Is it Sina?” He asked.  
“I don’t know…” I replied “but whoever it was, was strangled before the massacre occurred, at least she didn’t feel this!” 

I felt my hand curl into a fist, as I returned to my feet. I began to pace around, back and forth.  
“There has to be a link, there always is!” I said. I began to re-think every detail about the case.  
“The victims, they all knew each other, friends possibly, they were all the same age and all went to… COLOSSAL ACADEMY! Marco’s stunned face met me as he began to join in, as we began to fit the pieces together from the ludicrous puzzle.  
“That’s the connection!” He said “Can you remember like one of our first cases together!” He asked.  
“Yeah!” I yelled “That kid, she committed suicide after being bullied. She got pushed too far by the bullies.” I continued  
“Our victims they were the bullies!” Marco said, the case finally began to make sense.  
I remembered fully now all the pieces fitted together. “Can you remember? It was a huge dilemma because people were taken off the case because it was too personal, because it was Annie’s-! My words trailed off as realisation struck me. I glanced to Marco who had too realised who the killed was.  
“Annie’s cousin…” Marco finished. Oh my god…  
Suddenly I heard the large metal cafeteria door slam shut and the bolt lock. I rapidly turned my head to find a blonde girl (hair in a ponytail) staring lifelessly into the floor, one hand gripping the bolt. Annie!  
“This whole time, it was you!” Marco shouted.  
She gave a psychotic laugh facing us with widened eyes.  
“Well done you clever boys” Her chilling words reflected around the room, “They deserved everything they got”  
“YOU’RE SICK!” I screamed holding up my pistol in her direction, Marco backing me up.  
She held up her police gun aiming at it at turns at each of us.  
“Annie… Why?” Marco asked.  
“They killed my cousi-!” She cried  
“NO! She killed herself, they didn’t know that would happen! They were only kids!” I interrupted.  
A moment of silence.  
“Why the leaves…?” Marco asked, still aiming his gun at Annie.  
“When she died, it was like a leaf had fallen from my family tree.” She said “Then those kids had to fall the same way”  
“This all makes sense now, that’s why we couldn’t find any leads, you knew EXACTLY what we’d look for!” I retaliated “The violence of the murders it wasn’t for fun, it was revenge!”

We stood holding each other at gunpoint, but Annie was outnumbered. I saw her steadily reach for the handle of the door.  
“YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!” I yelled, clutching my gun even tighter.  
She turned away “You can’t stop me…” She quietly said, before whipping back around and shooting in random directions. That’s fucking it!  
I saw her try to rush out of the gap between the doors, as I pulled the metal trigger of my gun and saw her body collapse to the floor with a thud. I had to do it.

“Another case solved detective Bodt” I said, turning around to face Marco who was stood slightly behind me. He smiled slightly, before stumbling forward, gripping the left side of his body. No…  
I saw my best friend fall to the floor as he let out a cry of agony.  
“MARCO!” I hollered as I ran across the room, kneeling beside him. I turned him on his back, tilting his face up at me, he looked so weak, so helpless.  
“Urgh-“ He groaned, glancing down towards his waist. I looked as well, to see him rotating his hand slightly to reveal a large red mark across his shirt and hand.  
“THAT BITCH!” I shouted, tears beginning to well-up in my eyes. I began to shake as emotions flooded throughout my body.  
I returned my attention to his face.  
“Marco, c’mon man you’ll be okay!” I said reassuringly, trying to keep my hopes up. “He’ll be fine! He’ll be fine” I kept telling myself. I ripped of my left sleeve of my shirt and added pressure to his wound.  
I felt a soft hand touch my cheek. I then supported it with my hand, despite the red smear being imprinted on my face.  
“Jean-“ He hissed in pain “Jean, we both know how this is going to end…”  
“NO!” I screamed the tears now fully rolling down my face “YOU CANT LEAVE ME!”  
“I don’t want to” He gave a small laugh before wincing again from the pain.  
I closed my eyes, trying to force back the tears.  
“Jean…” I snapped my eyelids back and stared down at my freckled friend’s face, strands of his hair streaking across his eyes. “I-I” he started “I love you, I always have…”  
I let out a large sniff, trying to wipe away my tears with my arm. “I love you too Marco.” I said, tears now fully flowing, “Full homo and everything” I saw him let out a faint smile before grabbing for his wound again.

I sat there in stunned disbelief, as the light in his eyes dimmed, he reached out for me and I took his hand, squeezing it for the very last time. I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces; and in that moment I knew he was gone. Darkness fell over the city, and over my face as well. I leant my head forward, pressing it against his forehead, rocking back and forth slightly. My body violently shook from the sobbing. “Marco…. Please… don’t leave me…” I whispered out several begs, but I never received a response. I let my head fall back as I let out a wail, crying as I heard Captain Pixis and a S.W.A.T team barge through the door.

Sat amongst my fellow workmates I watch the blaring fire in front of my body. Two days later: Marcos funeral. We didn’t have a ‘traditional’ military police force funeral, I knew how much he wanted to be cremated. I knelt down picking up a piece of ash from the floor, rubbing the dust in between my fingers.  
“Hey Marco…” I speak quietly “I can’t tell which bones are you anymore. If I hadn’t become a detective, I wouldn’t have to think about who is going to die next. I know I have to fight, but not everyone is as eager to lie down they’re life like you.” I felt the wind flick my hair, just like he used to playfully mess it up. I closed my eyes, feeling a single tear roll down my cheek.  
“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you’re not a strong person, so you can relate to how the weak feel. In addition, you excel in sizing up any situation. Isn’t that why you immediately know what should be done?”  
My eyes snap back open after my memory of Marco’s soft voice. I crunch up my face with determination and clutch the ash in a tight fist, my hand shaking slightly. I return to my feet.  
I stand straight, eyes again focusing on the flickering flames once again, determined to always remember the freckled boy I fell in love with. Farewell Marco Bodt…

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry about the shortness of this one, and for any emotional breakdowns. I didn't mean for it to get this intense, but I thought it ended well. Sorry for any grammar errors, thanks for reading :D


End file.
